The Universal Decleration of Human Rights

By definition, Human Rights are inalienable, fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because he or she is a human being. However, with such a broad and shady definition, one is left to fill in the blanks to what Human Rights truly are to them. Naturally, we all tend to shy away from defining such a big and scary topic, as we are afraid of giving a wrong answer and being judged by our opinions.

Even in this scenario we are given a basic Human Right that needs to be followed: The right to voice our opinions without fear of judgment. So far in our world, there are 30 Natural, or Human, Rights that have been written in Ink and widely accepted. This list is called, “The Universal Declaration of Human Right”. I believe in the idea of this list, but I feel that because of the lack of enforcement of these rights, it only does as much good as writing your grocery list down. Sure, you’ll remember them better, but will that stop you from ignoring or adding something to the list? You can’t force your friends to follow your own grocery list as they have their own.

Clearly, without any type of enforcement, a list of guidelines won’t do much to help the children forced into war slavery in Uganda, or the thousands of homeless men and women who rarely have enough food to eat. Sure, the list may say, “Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others,” but will these words really change anything? Personally, I believe that Human Rights are the conscious decision of all of Humankind to treat everyone (regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and income) equally. Cruel punishment must be abolished. Religious enforcement must end. Food must be supplied to all those in need.

In my opinion, the World must simultaneously agree to enforce such rules and regulations for this idealistic idea to become a reality. The fact of the matter is, writing 30 laws on a paper won’t do much unless the World joins forces and follows these rules. We must agree that, though it may be nice to see these rights written in ink, they are only a plausible idea if we work as a team and create a world where all Men are truly created equal.